A Feasibility Study on the Lateral Behavior of a 3D-Printed Column for Application in a Wind Turbine Tower

Although 3D printing technology has been applied worldwide, the problem of connecting a printed structure and a foundation has rarely been examined. In particular, loads in the horizontal direction, such as wind loads and earthquake loads, can significantly affect the stability of a printed structure. Therefore, in this study, the effect of lateral loads on printed columns that were connected to a foundation by two types of connectors was investigated. A steel angle with bolts and couplers was used to connect the printed column to a concrete footing. In addition, two types of lateral reinforcement were applied to the printed column to enhance its bonding strength and shear resistance. The lateral reinforcements were attached to the interface of the printed layers at distances of 100 and 200 mm to investigate the effect of lateral reinforcement distance on the lateral behavior of the printed column. The results showed that the use of couplers as connections between the columns and foundation significantly improved the load capacity. Furthermore, the effects of the lateral reinforcement types and lateral reinforcement distances were assessed.